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6 1st Congress, 

'2d Session. 



SENATE. 



Document 
No. 453. 



L 13 
.G4 fl3 
Copy 1 



GENERAI. EDUCATION BOARD. 



Mr. Gallinger presented the follo\\ang 

MEMORANDUM CONCERNING THE GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD 
ALONG THE LINES OF THE PROMOTION OF PRACTICAL FARMING 
IN THE SOUTHERN STATES; THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEM 
OF PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES; AND THE 
PROMOTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE UNITED 
STATES. 



March 25, 1910. — Ordered to be printed, with illustrations. 



[Memor.vndum.— The General Education Board has three main lines of work: (1) The promotion of prac- 
tical farming in the Southern States; ( 2) the development of a system of public high schools in the South- 
ern States; and (3) the promotion of higher education throughout the United States.] 



THE PROMOTION OF PRACTICAL FARMING IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. 

For the first three years of its existence the l)oard, throngli its 
representatives, made a careful study of pubhc education in the 
Southern States. As a result of this study it reached the conclu- 
sion that the greatest present need of that part of our country is 
the increased productive efficiency of rural life. Eighty-five per 
cent of the people of the Southern States live in the country and by 
farming. 

Careful inquiry was therefore made in the United States and in 
other countries regarding methods of delivering to farmers the prac- 
tical agricultural knowledge that has been developed b}^ national 
and state d^)artments of agriculture, experimental farms, etc. In 
the course of this inquiry the representatives of the board met Dr. 
Seaman A. Knapp, who by demonstration farms was successfully 
combating the boll weevil in Texas and Louisiana. It was the 
opinion of the board that the demonstration-farm methods of Doctor 
Knapp could be employed successfully in promoting general agri- 
culture, as well as in combating the specific enemy of the cotton 
industry. A conference was therefore had with Secretary Wilson 
of the United States Department of Agriculture, who agreed that 
Doctor Knapp, who is a special representative of the Department of 
Agriculture, might supervise the work in other States than Texas 
and Louisiana, provided funds for that purpose might be secured. 

The General Education Board, through the Department of Agri- 
culture, under the above agreement, beginning in the early part of 



2 GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. ^^^ Y^ 

1906, has made contributions for this purpose now aggregating 
$285,700. For the fiscal year 1909-10 the appropriation was 
$102,000. The latest report from Doctor Knapp shows that in the 
States thus aided by the General Education Board 135 men are at 
work supervising the demonstration farms and 13,589 farmers are 
pursuing improved agricultural methods under such direction. He 
further estimates that 187,680 farmers are pursuing similar work, as 
influenced by those farmers who are under the immediate super- 
vision of the agents. This work has attracted the favorable atten- 
tion of the Farmers' Union of the Southern States, of agricultural 
colleges, public-school authorities, and the public press. 

Under the auspices of Doctor Knapp special state agents have 
been appointed in the several Southern States, who are conducting 
demonstration work among the boys of the public schools. Several 
thousands of boys from twelve years of age and up, under the gen- 
eral designation of "Boys' corn clubs," are "learning by doing"— 
that is, instead of studying text-books on agriculture they are per- 
forming practical agricultural demonstration on their fathers' farms 
and are making these experiments the basis of agricultural study in 
the schools. In his latest communications to our office Doctor 
Knapp says that the work is developing in importance and value far 
beyond his most sanguine expectations. 

II. 

THE PROMOTION OF PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS. 

The general study of educational conditions in the Southern States 
led the board to believe that the greatest lack in that region and, 
therefore, the greatest need was of public high schools. It is the 
policy of the board to do this work through existing organizations. 
Arrangement was therefore made with the several state universities 
in the Southern States whereby such universities could assume the 
leadership and direction of a movement designed to develop systems 
of high schools. Appropriations have been made by the General 
Education Board to the state universities in the following States: 
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North 
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

The General Education Board appropriates to each university a 
sum sufficient to pay the salary and traveling expenses of a special 
high-school representative. This man, representing the university 
and the state de})artment of education, goes to counties throughout 
the State, arouses and organizes ])ublic sentiment favorable to high 
schools, and se(;ures the establishment and maintenance of public high 
schools. It is not possible to stale the total number of high schools 
thus organized and established. In several of the States we are able 
to give exact figures. The following high schools have been estab- 
lished : 

Alabama 33 

North Carolina 131 

South Carolina 59 

Tennessee 43 

Virginia 160 

. : APR 1910 



GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. 3 

In Exhibits A and B (see pages 8-13) the facts in detail with maps 
■ are given for Alabama and North CaroHna. It is safe to estimate that 
as a result of tliis cooperative initiative on the part of the General 
Education Board 1,000 new high schools have been established 
and that 15,000,000 have been raised by the people for buildings 
and equipment. 

Of this work President Ehot, who has recently made a journey 
through the Southern States, has said, "It is the most valuable piece 
of constructive educational work now going on in tlie United States." 

III. 

THE PROMOTION OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING. 

The General Education Board uniformly makes its gifts for en- 
dowment. Colleges throughout the country decide how much money 
they wish to raise at a given time. Application is made to the Gen- 
eral Education Board. A careful study of the institution is made 
covering both its financial and educational strength. It is studied 
not only as a particular institution of learning, but in its relation to 
higher education generally in a particular State. Then to approved 
institutions the board makes contributions toward the total sums 
which they themselves have decitled to raise. 

These contributions are made absolutely to the trustees of the 
several institutions and the General Education Board exercises no 
supervision or control in any case. It first decides that the institu- 
tion is worthy of aid and then makes its gift without any string at- 
tached to it. It is the conviction of the members of the board that 
they ought not to assume any supervision or control of the educa- 
tional work in colleges. 

Appropriations by the board for higher education liave been made 
as follows: 

In the Southern States $1, 412, 500 

In the Western States 1, 875, 000 

In the Eastern and Middle States 1, 405, 000 

Total ; 4, 692, 500 

These gifts on the part of the General Education Board are toward 
an approximate total of $18,000,000, which total sum represents the 
increase of educational endowment and equipment, largely made 
possible by the contributions of the General Education Board. A 
detailed statement of these appropriations is attacjied hereto under 
Exhibit C. 

CONCLUSION. 

It should be noted that the policy of the General Education Board 
is to work through existing institutions and agencies and not itself 
to undertake independent educational work. 

These contributions for agricultural demonstration work are ex- 
pended under the supervision of the United States Department of 
Agriculture, which through its accredited repi'esentatives has entire 
control of such expenditures. Payments are niiule by the General 
Education Board for this work on vouchers certified by representa- 
tives of the Department of Agriculture. 



4 GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. 

It seeks to promote public high schools, not bj^ sending its own 
agents into the several States to do this work, but by enabhng state 
universities and state departments of education to do the work. 
Here, again, the direction and supervision of the work is entirely 
in the hands of the accredited representatives of the States. 

Its contributions for colleges are not for specific departments in 
colleges or universities, nor for particular kinds of education. The 
contributions are made to the trustees of the colleges, who have full 
power to direct the expenditure thereof. The only promise required 
by the board in making its gifts is that the money which it gives 
shall be invested and preserved inviolable for the endowment of the 
college or university. 

ALABAMA. 

1 . Professorship established 1906 

2. High schools established: 

Year 1906 None . 

Year 1907 2 

Year 1908 25 

Year 1909 6 

Total 33 

3. Private academies becoming public high schools 2 

4. High schools which have lengthened the course and increased the teaching 

force 18 

Number of teachers added in 18 schools ... 23 

5. Legislation — Affecting high schools: 

In August, 1907, the legislature passed a law providing for the establishment and 
partial maintenance of a high school in each of the 67 counties of the State. Under 
the provisions of this law any county may secure a high school by agreeing to 
donate and deed to the State at least 5 acres of land and to construct thereon a 
building costing not less than $5, 000. a 

The State agrees to appropriate annually $2,000 toward the maintenance of the 
school thus established. 

The establishment of the schools is placed in the hands of a commission consisting 
of the governor, the state auditor, and the state superintendent of education. It 
is stipulated that the course of study shall be of full secondary grade and shall be 
made out by the state superintendent of education. 

This legislature voted an increase of $2,000 annually to each of the nine district 
agricultural schools. 

During special session of the legislature in 1909 an act was passed allowing county 
boards of revenue to appropriate money to aid in the construction and maintenance 
of county high schools. 

At the same session an act was also parsed making it possible for cities and towns 
to make appropriations from city funds and to issue bonds to aid in the construction 
of high-schoof biuldings. 

6. Local taxation (counties) . . 41 

Yield annually $200, 000 

However, only a small part of this amount is applied to the sui)port of high schools. 

7. Increase of funds for high-school ))ur))0,sos: 

(rt) State appropriations — 

Year 1906 None. 

Year 1907 the legislature voted anruiallv conditionallv $152, 000 

Year 1908 : Of the above there was used '. 64, 000 

Year 1909 : Of the above there was used 76, 000 

(b) Funds from other sources — 

Year HKKi No increase. 

Year 1907 $15, 000 

Year 1908 22, 000 

Year 1909 40, 000 

c The high-school commission thus far has demanded that the buildings shall cost 
at least $10,000. 



GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. 5 

8. High-school buildings erected: 

Year 1906 4 

Year 1907 5 

Year 1908 26 

Year 1909 8 

Total 43 

All except two used only for high-school purposes. 

"Three years ago there were only four high-school l)uildings in the State used 
exclusively for high-school purposes; now there are 45/' 

9. Amount raised for the construction of high-school buildings: 

(a) Bv bonds — 

Year 1906 $75, 000 

Year 1907 80, 000 

Year 1908 50, 000 

Year 1909 60, 000 

265, 000 

(b) By private subscription — 

Year 1906 Nothing. 

Year ] 907 Nothing. 

Year 1908 $349, 500 

Year 1909 80, 000 

429, 500 

Total amount expended for high-school buildings 695, 000 

10. County high schools with four years' course of study 29 

District agricultural schools with four years' course of study 9 

Private high schools with four years' course of study 11 

City and town high schools with four years' course of study 25 

City and town high schools with three years' course of study 16 

Town high schools with two years' course of study 3 

Total 93 

Total number of teachers employed in the schools mentioned on preceding 

page 345 

Number of high schools having separate buildings 45 

Total enrollment 6, 991 

NORTH CAROLINA. 

1. Professorship established, June, 1905. 

2. In 1907 the legislature passed the present high-school act. providing an annual 

appropriation of $50,000 "to stimulate high-school instruction and teacher 
training.'" 

The high school act. 

'"AH public high schools established and maintained under the provisions of this 
act shall be operated by the county board of education under such general rules and 
regulations as may be prescribed by the state board of education. The courses of 
study for such high schools and the requirements for admission to them shall be 
prescribed by the state superintendent of public instruction." 

Requirements to he met in order to receive state aid. 

(1) All teachers in public high schools established under this act shall hold a high- 
school certificate from the state superintendent of public instruction. 

(2) High schools to become eligible for state aid must have at least three teachers, 
i. e., two teachers in addition to the high-school teacher. 

(3) No high schools are aided in towns of more than 1,200 people. 

(4) Before any high school shall be established under the provisions of this act, 
the committee or committees establishing such school shall first provide for thorough 
instruction, for at least five months m each school year, in all branches of study 
required to^be taught in the public schools of the State . 



6 



GENEEAL EDUCATION BOAKD. 



Any high school established under this act may receive financial assistance from 
the State in the same amount as that realized from taxation, or by private donation, 
or by local appropriation, or otherwise, to an amount not exceeding $500. ''Provided 
further, That not more than tour public high schools in any one county shall be entitled 
under the provisions of this act to receive state funds." 

The high-school act also provides for the establishment and maintenance of a teachers' 
training school, to be located by the state board of education at such a point in eastern 
North Carolina "as they may deem proper, and shall be located in or near that town 
offering the largest financial aid, having due regard to desirability and suitability 
for the location of said school." Fifteen thousand dollars is set aside for the purpose 
of erecting and equipping the buildings of said school, and $5,000 annually from the 
appropriation of $50,000 for high-school instruction and teacher training: Provided, 
A sum of not less than $25,000 toward the construction and equipment of said buildings, 
and the title to said buildings shall be in and held by the state board of education. 
Tuition is free to all those who signify their intention "to teach for such time and upon 
such conditions as may be prescribed by the board of trustees." 

(See the public school law of North Carolina.) 

3. The number of high schools established under this act: 

(1) With one teacher 114 

(2) With two teachers 12 

(3) With three or more teachers 6 

132 

(4) Number of high schools postponing opening 11 

a 143 

4. The number of high schools: 

(1) Reporting four-year students, 9 students. . 70 

(2) Reporting three-year students, 50 ■. do 297 

(3) Reporting two-year students, 102 do 861 

Number of first-year students 2, 721 

Total enrollment — 

Boys 1,759 

Girls 2, 190 



3,949 



5. Number of teachers devoting their whole time to high-school instruction. . . 173 
Number of teachers devoting part of their time to high-school instruction 42 

Total number of high-school teachers 215 

6. Number of rural high schools established under this act: 

(1) Receiving aid from local taxation, 87 $26, 247. 02 

(2) Receiving aid from private donations, 46 11, 650. 00 

(3) Receiving aid from county apportionment, 70 20, 364. 16 

(4) Receiving aid from State,' 132 37, 375. 00 

Total receipts for newlv established high schools due to the pas- 
sage of act ". 95, 636. 18 

GENERAL SUMMARY. 

/. The number of high schools . 



(1) With one teacher. . . 

(2) Vt'ith two teachers. 

(3) With three teachers 




a Fourteen additional high schools were established under this act, but they have since been discon- 
tinued. 

b This does not inchuie .^(i town and city high schools not reporting, and 11 rural high schools that post- 
poned opening. 



GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. 



2. Students. 

(1) NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOLS REPORTING FOUR-YEAR STUDENTS. 



Rural high schools 

Town and city high schools. 



Number of 

high 

schools. 



Deduct^— counted twice . 



Number of 
students. 



9 
9 


70 
109 


18 
1 


179 
3 



(2) NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOLS REPORTING THREE-YEAR STUDENTS. 






50 
33 




297 


Town and city high schools . . . . 


548 








83 
10 




845 
111 








73 


734 



(3) NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOLS REPORTING TWO-YEAR STUDENTS. 


Rural high schools . 


102 
43 


861 




964 








145 
19 


1,825 
250 








126 


1,575 



(4) NUMBER OF FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS. 

In rural high schools 2, 721 

In town and city high schools v 1, 579 

4,300 
382 



Deduct — counted twice. 



3,918 





(5) TOTAL ENROLLMENT. 










Boys. 


Girls. 


Total. 




1,759 
1,312 


2,190 
1,883 


3,949 


Town and city high schools . 


3,195 










3,071 
283 


4,073 
462 


7,144 
745 










2,788 


3,611 


6,399 



3. Number of teachers devoting their whole time to high school instruction: 

Rural high schools 173 

Town and city high schools 109 

282 

Deduct — counted twice 31 

Number of teachers devoting part of their time to high school instruction: 

Rural high schools 42 

Town and city high schools 37 



251 



Deduct — counted twice. 



79 

7 



72 
323 



GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. 

ALABAMA. 

EXHIBIT A. 




COUNTY HKJH SCHOOLS. 



\ifJn«t'-"ion- ^°""t>' ''•K''^''li"«'«. except one. were e.stablishe.l under the general act approved 
iesfs^a urc a■';..mved''A,\^L^^^'^on^ a,> annual appropriation of 82,000. By a .«peHal a.^t of the 

\fa This'^pWn?r!l^v^! y- '^'^''," ^"""'^: high .school for Dale County was located at Ozark, 
sm co^t of^^uSrd'if^gs'inThonBrd'oVaT"*'"" "■"" '"" ''''" °' ''''^- ^'^"'•^^ '" <^'^'^'^^ ^^P''^- 



GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. 

ALABAMA. 

Exhibit A — Continued. 



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CITY HIGH SCHOOLS. 



City high .schools which have lengthened their course and have increased their teaching force. 
Figures in circles represent added teachers. 



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EXHIBIT C. 

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO COLLEGES BY THE GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD — SOUTHERN STATES. 

» [Total appropriated, $1,412,500.] 

Maryland, $250,000: 

Johns Hopkins University $250, 000 

Virginia, $290,000: 

University of Virginia 50, 000 

Washington and Lee University 5, 000 

Richmond College 150, 000 

Randolph-Macon College .' 10, 000 

Randolph-Macon Woman's College 75, 000 

North Carolina, $187,500: 

Wake Forest College 37, 500 

Da^ddson College 75, 000 

Salem College for Women 75, 000 

South Carolina, $50,000: 

Woffard College 25, 000 

Furman Universitv 25, 000 

Georgia, $180,000: 

Mercer University 75, 000 

Agnes Scott College 100, 000 

Paine College 5, 000 

Alabama, $25,000: 

Howard College 25, 000 

Mississippi, $50,000: 

Mississippi College 25, 000 

Millsaps College 25, 000 

Arkansas, $75,000: 

Hendrix College 75, 000 

Tennessee, $230,000: 

Union Universitv 25, 000 

Maryville College 50, 000 

Fisk University " 5, 000 

Vanderbilt University 150, 000 

Kentucky, $75,000: 

Williamsburg Institute 50, 000 

Georgetown College 25, 000 

Total, Southern States 1, 412, 500 

WESTERN STATES. 

[Total appropriated, $1,875,000.] 

Ohio, $700,000: 

Western Reserve University $125, 000 

University of Wooster 275, 000 

Ohio Wesleyan University 125, 000 

Western College for Women 50, 000 

Oberlin College 125, 000 

Indiana, $50,000: 

Wabash College 50, 000 

-Michigan, $25,000: 

Kalamazoo College 25, 000 

Illinois, $50,000: 

Knox College 50, 000 

14 



GENERAL EDUCATION BOAED. 15 

Wisconsin, $100,000: 

Beloit College $50, 000 

Lawrence College 50, 000 

Minnesota, $225,000: 

Macalester College 75, 000 

Hamlin University 75, 000 

College of St. Thomas 75, 000 

Iowa, $250,000: 

Grinnell College 100, 000 

Morningside College 50, 000 

Coe College 50, 000 

Cornell College 50, 000 

Colorado, $50,000: 

Colorado College 50, 000 

Kansas, $50,000: 

Washburn College 25, 000 

Ottawa University 25, 000 

Missouri, $375,000: 

Drury College 50, 000 

Washington University 200, 000 

William Jewell College 125, 000 

Total, Western States 1, 875, 000 

EASTERN AND MIDDLE STATES. 

[Total appropriations, $1,405,000.] 

Maine, $50,000: 

Bowdoin College $50, 000 

Vermont, $100,000: 

University of Vermont 100, 000 

Massachusetts, $175,000: 

Harvard University 62, 500 

Williams College 100, 000 

Smith College 12, 500 

Rhode Island, $50,000: 

Women's College in Brown Universit v 50, 000 

Connecticut, $400,000: 

Yale University 300, 000 

Wesleyan University 100, 000 

N«w York, $230,000: 

Hamilton College 50, 000 

Union College 100, 000 

University of Rochester 30, 000 

St. Lawrence University 50, 000 

Pennsylvania, $300,000: 

Lafayette College 50, 000 

Bryn Mawr,College 250, 000 

New Jersey, $100,000: 

Princeton University .- .*. . . 100, 000 

Total, Eastern and Middle States 4, 712, 500 

() 



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